A church in Oregon has once again hit the national and international headlines after posting some, perhaps surprising, messages on the billboard outside the church.
Pastor Adam Ericksen, who came to the Clackamas United Church of Christ in Milwaukie, Oregon, a few years ago, has been spreading a message of tolerance, kindness and inclusivity, that the pastor says is the true way of Jesus.
Many of the messages have also gone online. In many ways, it is a fightback against the domination of many churches in the United States by conservative ideas, often linked to the political conservative right.
Among the most reason signs is one that reads:
"Kind atheists are closer to Jesus than mean Christians"
A post shared by Clackamas United Church Christ (@clackamasucc)
Other signs have read:
"Blessed are our LGBTQ siblings, the Kingdom is theirs."
A post shared by Clackamas United Church Christ (@clackamasucc)
And:
"We take the bible seriously but not always literally."
A post shared by Clackamas United Church Christ (@clackamasucc)
The signs have also included quotes from Martin Luther King and Great Thunberg.
The pastor told Bored Panda:
"I came to the Clackamas United Church of Christ about a year and a half ago and realized that we needed to get our message out into the neighbourhood. People saw our building but didn't know what our values were. So we started a fundraiser for the sign and I started posting those messages. People began to stop as they drove by to thank me for the messages. But I didn't know it would have an online impact, too. Amidst the pain of the world and all the hate, people are thirsty for something deeper. The truth of the Gospel is that all people are loved. The sin is when we start treating certain people and groups as if they are not loved. Jesus was most critical of those who used religion as an excuse to marginalize others. We are merely seeking to follow Jesus in the best way we can."
He added:
"I decided that we needed to be bold with our message of love and inclusion, especially for those who are marginalized especially by religion. My goal is to be part of a larger movement that is reframing or redefining Christianity so that it's based on God's love for all people, but especially those who are marginalized."
[h/t: Upworthy]
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